Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Link: Lucky Number 13 ❯ The Sheikah Pt. 03: Divine Intervention ( Chapter 28 )

Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda or the cast. They're all property of Nintendo. I just own the perverted mind and ideas to do this to them. As always, if you don't like long drawn out fan fics stop reading now because it only gets longer.

Story Info: This will be mainly told through Link's point of view. For you Zelda heads out there, I'll say this; he doesn't get her in this one. So, if that news disturbs you stop reading. The following also contains large quantities of angst and a couple, if not a few characters will be of my own making. Without any further interruptions, I present to you, The Legend of Link: Lucky Number 13.

Chapter Twenty-eight

The old man blinked back his tears, never in his life imagining a pain so raw and unending. There was no blood, though. Link had ripped the old man's heart from his chest, but not a drop of red blood spilled. Magi was chained to a wall somewhere in the dark. He could tell Link was present from the echo of his boots plodding back and forth just in front of his swollen eyes. The nervous sweat and the sheen of blood had collected in them long ago due in no small part to the fists of an enraged father.

There was no telling how long he'd been there or how long he'd stay there. Magi never thought too deeply about his snide remarks of Link and his morbid sense of humor. Simply put, they were the ramblings of a man teetering on the brink of madness. Still, he was safe for now. For as long as those boots moved, they wouldn't stand still. And when they didn't stand still, Link didn't strike, break, or physically mutilate some part of his body.

The footsteps stopped and the old man whimpered.

Magi hung listlessly from the chains-arms broken, legs shattered beyond natural healing, and his heart still beating. He'd screamed until his throat was bloody and raw, as Link chilled and boiled his blood at random intervals. This was how the gods would repay him for his loyalty? He, a man who had devoted his life to doing right by them, would be forced to suffer this humiliation as a reward? Magi recoiled as he felt (what he thought was) Link's breath on his face, scentless and cold.

"Yes," Link whispered from the shadows, low voice making his victim's body tremble

Magi began to cry-knowing that it wouldn't sway Link a bit-because he knew it was the end and he couldn't do a thing to stop it. In truth, the torture had only lasted a mere 15 minutes. However, those minutes would never be forgotten or forgiven. The muffled cries turned to sobs as his captor began to laugh. It wasn't a whimsical laugh like that of his father. This Link had a laugh that was marred with bitterness and a fatal underlining.

"Ple--," he fell silent as Link's hand closed around his throat.

"Do you think your forgiveness matters to me?" Link asked in a voice that resembled a snarl, having easily heard Magi's thoughts.

"Ah!" Magi grunted, feeling the wind escape his lungs as Link threw him back against the wall.

"Tell me something," the seething god began, as the room lit up with a foggy white light. He summoned a wooden pole from the stone floor and impaled Magi's heart on it. "Can you feel that?"

"AAAAH!"

"I'll take that as a maybe," he said sardonically, as he began to coat the beating muscle in honey. Without another word, Link dropped the bowl and began to walk away. Hearing the footsteps retreating, Magi stirred.

"Wait … wait … you can't leave me," the old man's voice was weak, barely a whisper, but very much alive. "Wait! I … I can bring the child back!" Link stopped mid-step, turning around while simultaneously appearing right in Magi's face.

"Tsk, tsk. Now you're going to lie to me," Link smacked him, long since losing the joy in hearing the breaking of bones, screams, and begging. "I'll do that myself. You need only concern yourself with your new company."

He tilted his head to the left, putting a finger to his lips to indicate silence. It sounded like tiny footsteps-lots and lots of tiny footsteps-and they were getting louder.

"Sir …" the wizard turned his head forward, but found no sign of Link. The swelling in his eyes had purposely faded only to see his heart on that stick and a green insect approaching it. "Get … get away from there! Go on! Shoo!" The insect paid him no mind, climbing the pole in search of the sugary smell. Before long, another insect appeared and another. The man tried a spell, but found his abilities were useless. "Damn it! Get a … ow! Stop that! Ow! Hey, that hurts! OW!"

"And some pests show up to eat what's beneath the honey," Link's voice said from everywhere.

Magi's eyes widened, as he knew that this would be his unfortunate fate. There was one last plea to Link, but unfortunately, no one answered.

The feeding had begun …

Link materialized in the throne room then.

No one had moved from his or her position since he'd left, minus his father. His father's new position was above the corpse of his grandson with an out of place look of sorrow or was it confusion? Link didn't know, but he approached him in all of the same hostility.

"Where'd you take him?" Nabooru asked, causing his march to falter slightly.

"Only a distinct few know," he answered, mocking the old man's voice to the syllable. "And now they don't even know," Link thought, reaching out to those soldiers' minds and erasing all traces of that secret cell.

"Is he dead?" she asked, truly wanting to know how he'd done it.

Link seemed to grow agitated with the questions, mumbling as he pushed his father away from his son.

"He'll die eventually-it just depends on how fast they eat … and how many times I decide to make him re-live it."

"Touchy," Link Sr. said, brushing off the disrespectful act of being shoved. "I see he got the family face."

"Was that an attempt at small talk?" Link thought, pushing his anger to the outermost part of his mind. He snapped his fingers and the Shiekah slowly began to pull themselves off the floor. "It goes without saying, but if you ever attempt something like this again, I won't let you off with a group nap. Are we understood?"

The question had a specific tone that let everyone know that it didn't matter if he was understood or not.

"Yes," the group-consisting of mainly male voices-answered to be safe. They quickly disappeared in a Deku Nut provided flash.

Still, there was that one Shiekah left standing near the back of the room.

"Wait, they were never dead?" Zelda asked incredulously.

"They were," Link said in turn. "I just didn't think they deserved to stay that way. No one at home will speak to me again, but that's how I feel."

"You could've prevented all of this, you know?" Link Sr. interjected, drawing his son's angry attention. "They aren't normal children-the boy or the girl-no matter what you do, they'll always be a part of this." He motioned between Link and himself. "I suggest you stop trying to deny that and teach them to use it, because you can't always be there. Even with your level of power, there'll be cracks for them to fall into that they must dig themselves out of. Taking their shovels will only impede that process."

"True," Link forced himself to say, nearly showing physical stress at having to admit that. "So, you do know how to be more than a pain in my ass."

"Naturally," Link Sr. responded to the mumbles of his son giving them a dismissing wave of the hand. "Father always knows best."

"Too bad you didn't know best the last time," Link said bluntly, fending off the smile that was suddenly pulling at the corners of his lips. The cuts on his son slowly sealed, as his skin took on a dull golden glow. "Then I wouldn't have had to kill you."

"Heh," his father snorted. "My time was up. But if I didn't get all sappy about your mother, I would've won. Thank them for that lovely eternal bonding between our kind." He looked up and shook his head.

"Sure," Link said wryly, smiling openly at his son who'd begun to breathe. "Speaking of which, I think it's time for you to go now."

"I suppose, because I'm sure your mother is waiting to yell at me about something." He shook his head again, but nonetheless smiled at his legacy, whether that legacy wanted it or not. There was an odd moment where the two men stared at each other. Beyond that obvious level of dysfunction was a slightly deeper understanding. That little "story" or whatever it was, had given a glimpse (if only a small one) of a father that was more than a madman. "If it's of any consolation, I am so--" Everyone made a gasp as the man at the edge of the table slowly faded away. Link knew there would be confusion among the witnesses, but he didn't need the fatherly bonding. He hated his father and that was it. Maybe in the future they could expand upon this mincing of words, but not now.

Link set the throne room back to the way he originally found it-no bloody corpses or pools of blood. The windows were opened and with a little more effort, the Gerudo were alive and well a few miles away. His son wouldn't remember any of what happened, as for those at home, maybe this would convince them to regularly train and keep their skills sharp. And for him, today would be like any other day. Well, except for the other people in that room. This was the day it became real. Link of Kokiri Forest was a god.

"Daddy?" a little voice thick with sleep whispered.

"Come on, it's time to go home," he whispered back, picking his son up. "I hope you don't mind if we cut the meeting short today."

"No, go right ahead," Zelda said, unable to resist her maternal instincts to wave at the slowly awakening child staring at her from over his father's shoulder. "We were wrapping things up before you showed up."

"Dad, who's the lady in the white dress?" Link Jr. waved back, despite her being a stranger.

"That's Zelda… Queen Zelda," Link corrected, standing before Nabooru. "You ready?"

"Almost," she said, giving Ruto a few nudges to get her up and moving again.

"Oh," Link Jr. yawned, partially falling asleep.

Ruto woke up with a brief scream, eyes roaming all over the room in a panic.

"Sssh!" Nabooru hissed. "Let the child get some rest." The Gerudo Queen stood up and looped her arm around her husband's left, before asking, "Are we still on for tomorrow?"

"I suppose," Zelda answered thoughtfully. "How about you, Ruto? Think you can stay awake long enough to join us?"

The Zora shifted unconsciously in her seat. The blood, the dead bodies, and all of it were gone. Had it been a sick dream? Ruto didn't know, but something about Link's face made her think that it was real.

"My… I must've dozed off there for a moment." It was a thinly veiled attempt to hide her unsteadiness. "Anyway, count me in."

They said their good-byes, and that was that… almost. So determined not to keep his son a secret any longer, Link didn't even notice that out of place Shiekah or entirely remember what he had planned to do to him. His son, however, woke up the second they were just beside him.

"You got a necklace like my mommy," the child rambled, passing out again. Link and Nabooru both stopped, and as he motioned her to take the child from him. The Shiekah emitted a dull light from his forehead, catching Link's attention.

"Is something wrong back there?" Arthur called, finding enough courage to get back on his throne and speak.

The Shiekah's uniform was thick with sweat, having had his muscles held in the same positions for so long. Still, the light shined brighter the moment Nabooru shifted a few feet to get a better view of him. His hands were still on the sheaths of the two short swords on his back-one kidney level, the other over his shoulder and on his back. He couldn't see his hands, but Link had a feeling they were glowing like candles in a dark room, too.

"Would you please take him outside?" Link seemed to state more so than ask. "I'll be out in a moment."

Nabooru did as told, noticing the triangular-shaped light beaming off the guy's forehead got ridiculously bright as she got closer to him. As she passed through the doors, the castle guards all jumped to attention to defend against whatever came out-just in case whatever that was turned out to be the force that kept them out for so long. Realizing that it was Nabooru, they let her pass without question before storming in. A pitying sigh passed through Link's lips, as the lights faded from the Shiekah's head the moment Nabooru got out of range. It was obviously Rampart.

"You hated me that much," Link asked in a dry tone, which was muffled out as the guards stormed past. Rampart didn't attempt to answer him, but the venom in his eyes spoke more than enough for Link.

"Sir, we heard screaming! But the doors, they didn't open!" A Sermonian Knight said, taking a knee before his King and Queen.

"We know," Arthur replied shakily as he sank into his throne. "But there's nothing that requires your attention now."

Still, he watched Link with caution. Okay, so he was trying to keep the urine in his body and not scream like a woman. He'd taken something from this … god that he never gave much thought. The king repeated his silent apologies, hoping that he'd get to see his son grow up … and that Link didn't get the urge to tear anything off his body. The knight looked at his king in confusion then to his queen. Zelda took her husband's hand, nearly chuckling outright, as it was drenched in sweat.

"Actually, there is," Link said quietly. Zelda raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, as her husband made an audible, for lack of a better word, squeak.

The room's attention shifted towards Link, as a sword no shorter than five feet long (four of that being two blades that intersected at the middle and bowed out to form the point) plunged into the statuesque Shiekah's chest. Rampart let out a strangled scream, arching back until the tip of the blade touched the floor. Link then twisted the sword, making sure that the blade guard overlapped wound like a cross. He forced the sword into the marble floor insuring that no mortal could remove it. Rampart leaned back, completely impaled, and sadly, completely alive.

"I have something to give you, Rampart," he whispered, placing his left index finger on his former pupil's forehead. "You feel what it's like to lose a child! You feel what it was like for him to watch his mother die, because I refuse to live with this… I can live with it all, but not this…" the rage and pain in Link's voice left, passing through his fingertip into Rampart's body. "Not this pain," he whispered again.

The other knights looked on in horror as the man's body began to twitch, experiencing a pain that his body wasn't meant to bear. His veins began to pulsate and flicker with light, as they bulged. His blood's temperature soared well beyond boiling, yet the torture persisted. Rampart stuttered a plea for help, but no one dared to make a move. The fascination and the fear wouldn't allow them to move. So, they all watched. His head fell back as the pain continued to grow, splitting each of his nerves, and permeating through his pores.

He screamed more like a wounded animal than a man, as the whites of his eyes turned blood red. Link's eyes turned white again as Rampart's eyes exploded with molten blood. A guard vomited nearby, having never seen anything like it. But Link stood there, no further than two feet away, taking it all in. Rampart let out another howl before the back of his skull had exploded from the stress such pain had put on his brain. From what certain knights could see, it had swollen to a ridiculous size, which now oozed to the floor in a smoldering heap.

"Aaah!"

Link knew this would be the last scream, as Rampart's chest began to expand rapidly. Behind him, Zelda screamed as Rampart's chest exploded, shooting his flaming heart into the air. It hit the ground like a burnt game bird, turning to ash on impact. Everyone, even Darunia, sat in a stunned silence as the lifeless Shiekah's body exploded with amber light before turning into equal parts ash.

The memory of his son's death was still there, but that helpless feeling wasn't. The pain was gone and so was the cause-a jealous man bent on revenge. Today was to be Rampart's revenge, but unfortunately, vengeance was short-lived. Link kneeled for a moment, brushing the ashes about until he saw it. It was a silver snake coiled around a sword, attached to a simple black cord. It wasn't much of a gift, but Sepaaru liked it. He heard the knights all jump as he stood up and put the necklace in his breast pocket.

"You may want to get a broom," Link said on the wind of his exit. Shortly thereafter, the large sword that pierced the marble floor faded away like its owner.

Link Jr. was fully awake outside, as the setting sun usually signaled it was close to his bedtime. Nabooru had entertained his questions about the world before him. He'd been housed inside of that valley his entire life, due in part to Sepaaru's over-protective nature and Link's uncomfortable stance about the subject of this child's birth. As much as it upset her to learn of his son's conception, to learn that this would be the grandchild of Ganondorf, it didn't. Link, unfortunately, never really came to term with it.

Despite that, though, he was a great father at home, but he had told no one of this child's existence. Not Zelda, Arthur, Malon, and she almost doubted that Saria knew. He never took him anywhere and deep down, she had a feeling he was ashamed of him. Perhaps he wasn't ashamed of the boy in general, but Link was definitely ashamed of his lapse in control that brought the child into this world. It had done sizeable damage to his relationship with Zelda, and that above anything, probably had the most to do with his sometime standoffish attitude towards his son.

"Whoa! Auntie Nabooru, look at what I found!" Link Jr. shouted, pulling a tarp back from over the grotto beside the moat.

Nabooru came out of her thoughts when she heard that. She placed a hand on her hip and chuckled, noticing how similarly Zelda was to him at that age. She was a teenager now, too big and too old to listen. In that respect, Link Jr. was her second chance at motherhood. She sighed, for the first time, giving serious thought to how odd that must seem to her husband. He all but threw the boy in a corner when her or Zelda came around to avoid the awkwardness he thought him to make. Nabooru resolved to have a talk with him about it once they got home.

"Put that back," Nabooru ordered the little boy, who was now sticking his head in the hole. "I'm sure it was covered for a reason."

"Okay," he said, as she helped him cover the brown tarp with some of the surrounding soil.

"Anything of interest down there?" Link asked, quite friendly considering his prior actions and mood. He was balanced on the top of the fencing, back in his usual green ensemble and with a smile to boot. A cartwheel flip later and he was scooping his son up and tickling him. Nabooru smiled, nudging them back towards the path.

"Nothing down there but the bugs," she said, marriage instincts flaring up the second Link stuttered with his step. "Problem?"

"No, just thinking about something funny." Of course, Magi would fail to see the humor. Then again, once his heart was completely eaten, he wouldn't see much of anything.

"Can I have something to eat?" Link Jr. chimed in, almost making his father fall down the hill laughing with his odd timing.

"Think you can wait until we get home?" Link asked, as they made their way through the castle gate. The redhead gave his stomach a look as if to question it.

"Yeah, but…" he paused as they stood on the stone path that led into town. "Whoa! Hey! What's that funny mouse thing? Oh! What's this place?" The signs of a child that hadn't seen much blossomed, throwing hunger to the wind for now. Link let a sad look befall Nabooru, knowing-without-knowing that she knew what he was feeling.

"That's the Happy Mask Shop," Link said happily, though sighing afterward as he recalled the cheerful owner's demise. "That mouse thing is called a Bombachu." The little boy tugged them out of the recesses and into the town to get a better view of the bustling Castle Town.

"Ah, come here, sir," a man, no older than his mid to late twenties, motioned for Link as they passed the fountain. "How about another hole in those lovely ears?" Obviously, he was new to Hyrule. His face had a tattoo, a spiraling star to be precise, circling his left eye.

"Oh! Can I get my ears pierced?" Link Jr. jumped at the opportunity, looking up at Link with the same hopeful eyes that the shop owner gave him. "Please? Please! Please! Please!"

"Cut it out," Link said swiftly, but with no sting to the words. His son complied. "What would your mother say if I brought you home with two new holes in your head?"

"Mother, do you have any objections?" the shopkeeper asked in his sweetest voice.

"I'm not his mother," Nabooru answered plainly, causing him to fumble. Link could feel his eyes staring at him for an explanation, which he didn't feel like giving.

"It'll hurt," Link said in kind to his son, ignoring the shopkeeper. "Think you can handle it?"

With little more than a furrowed brow, Link Jr. nodded. "I can handle it, no sweat."

"All right," Link said, taking a thoughtful deep breath. "You heard the boy."

"Excellent, sir! And today, I'm running a special…"

"Just him," Link said to cut through the bargaining chitchat.

The man bowed, allowing the assumed family into his humble abode. Overall, it looked a lot better than the dump he originally got his ears pierced in, Link noticed. Things were polished and shined of cleanliness, as opposed to rust and the smell of urine that the tavern he'd had his done in. Link Jr. boldly strolled over to the spongy, leather chair on the other side of the counter and climbed in.

"Before we start, I'd like to inform you that he'll need to clean the holes at least three times everyday with soap and hot water," the shopkeeper said, as he made his way around to the chair.

"I can do that," the child chimed in.

"We'll see," Nabooru said, tapping Link on the shoulder. When he faced her, she tapped her temple. "What's wrong with you? Besides what happened back there, I mean."

"Just giving some thought to what my father said," he replied mentally. "He spoke as though he was with my mother."

"Is that a bad thing?" she waved at the little boy as the man pushed his red hair aside to size up his earlobes.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I know they said we fall hard in love, but enough to forgive a guy for killing you?"

"We?" Nabooru asked, watching as the first needle pierced the boy's ear. He flinched, but didn't cry. "You mean gods?"

"Yes," Link answered, giving his son a thumb up. "One more to go," he said with a smile, as his son nodded weakly.

"I think it's cute in a weird way," Nabooru said thoughtfully. Link gave her an odd look as she continued. "To love someone enough to forgive them after being killed by them."

"We have different definitions of cute," Link thought over to his wife as the second needle went into his son's right ear. "I find it amazing that you can fear someone that's trying to kill your child, but then forgive them once they die. Why even bother saving me if you still want him?"

"I just need to let the needles sit for a few seconds," the shopkeeper said, breaking them from their silent conversation. "You're doing great, kid."

"See, Daddy? I… I told you I could handle it," he winced with each word, but held his smug little smile.

"I stand corrected then. Why don't you pick out a pair…" Link flicked his right earring "…and I'll pay for them."

"Okay," the boy added as the shopkeeper brought out a book with the various earring designs he had in stock.

"She probably knew you were destined for great things," Nabooru silently contributed to her husband's query.

"Dismembering people, you mean." She punched him in his shoulder for the sarcasm.

"Don't you dare stand here and try to reduce your place in history to something so… crude." He looked down at her face, which scowled up at his, and sighed. "I know that's a part of it. But don't think that that's all there is to you."

"Still, I'm pretty much a lightning rod for problems. Both of my kids have died at one time or another. Hell, both of my kids' mothers have died because of me. And this is worth saving?" He made a motion that signified who this was. "Like he said, Link's apart of this. We're nothing but murderers with nice smiles. I don't want that for him and Zelda. And I damn sure don't want it for their kids."

"You're cute when you're brooding," Nabooru thought up to him.

"Sir," the shopkeeper interrupted. "We're out of the rings at the moment, and somebody is being difficult about choosing another pair."

"I want them like my Dad's!" Link Jr. shouted, a thin metal needle skewing each ear. He was still looking at Nabooru, thinking about her odd answer and his son's dilemma.

"Here," Link said as he unclasped his earrings. "They'll be a bit big, but you'll grow into them."

The shopkeeper jumped as they touched his palm, a weird energy coursed through him that made the man pause. "These aren't normal, are they?" he asked, staring up at the larger gentleman.

"Nothing about us is normal," Link answered him with a rather penetrating gaze.

"Can I… have them?" the little boy asked, astonished at receiving such a gift. Link found it an odd question, but didn't see fit to deny the child anything at this point, so he nodded. "Cool!"

"Back to you," Link thought, as Nabooru grinned up at him. "I'm glad you take this so lightly."

"Why shouldn't I?" she answered, still smiling. "You brought them back, Hero. Whether or not our daughter's life follows ours isn't something we should worry about. Whether your son grows up and continues the bloody history attached to his name shouldn't worry you, either. Is it so hard for you to just be happy with who they are now instead of who they might become later?"

"It's not who," Link thought in a whisper. "It's what. I can't hide what I am from them forever. Eventually it's going to come up. 'Dad, why don't you and Mom age?' Or 'Dad, why aren't we getting wrinkled like our friends?'"

"I see," Nabooru said flatly, recognizing this as his streak of self-loathing. "What exactly are you? A good king, a great father, a god-that's exactly who and what you are. You saw your child murdered; no one expects rational thinking from a parent who has to witness that. As for those questions, you can only answer them when they are asked. There is little need to plan the perfect answer, because there is no such thing."

Link's end of the conversation died. There were questions he had that he couldn't answer, let alone his wife. He looked up at his son, who despite everything, didn't wince as the first golden earring penetrated the slightly bloody hole.

"Ouch!" Okay, so he waited until it was clasped in to complain. "Double ouch!"

"There, now you're going to need… need… to," the shopkeeper's mouth hung slack. The blood… it was moving back into the holes! He shot a look back at Link, nearly turning back to the child when he saw the luminance of the father's hand. "You… you! What's going on?"

"Problem solving," Link said as the earrings pulsed a few times before returning to normal. He surveyed the store before his eyes rested on a pair of earrings in a case. "How much for the ruby ones?"

Unconsciously the shopkeeper made a dash for the glass case on the shelf, feeling particularly intimidated all of a sudden. "They're… uh… they're a steal at… fifteen-hundred rupees!"

"But Dad, I don't want those. I wanna keep these," the little boy whined. "Those look girly!"

"I know, but that doesn't mean your sister won't like them." They were cut in the shape of tiny stars, attached to the clasp by silver beads. "How much for his ears?"

"Uh… yeah, forty-three even." The lithe man stood behind his counter, almost defensively shying back as Link reached in his tunic and produced a wallet. "That's fifteen-hundred and forty-three… sir."

"Make it sixteen hundred even," Link plopped the wallet down, mystically added the denomination, and motioned his son out of the chair.

"What sparked this little spending spree?" Nabooru asked, as Link informed the clerk that he wanted the blue velvet case.

"I'll tell them later," he answered her telepathically. "Until then, their birthrights shall be with them at all times. No one is going to hurt them again, and those…" he flicked his empty earlobes "…are going to make sure of that."

He ran his hand through his son's hair, giving him smile for his bravery. "I do something good?"

"Always," he answered the boy. "You know, I cried when I got mine done." He… embellished. Truth was, he was so accustomed to pain back then until the pricks didn't even register. Anyway, his son lit up at the news. "And you didn't even shed a tear, I guess you're about ready kick your old man's ass."

"No way!" the kid said loudly, disbelieving such a thing was possible from his mother's stories.

As the odd family made their way out of the door, Nabooru thought to Link, "Interesting choice of words."

"It'll probably come to pass," he said evenly, no hint of jest in his voice.

Nabooru paused and watched the father and son walk for few moments. It couldn't really happen again, could it? No, there was no reason for him and his child to go for each other's blood. She watched Link tussle his son's hair, tossing him up on his shoulders to move through the thick, dusk crowd. Nabooru jogged to catch up, praying that it was just one of those things her husband said in his "brood mood."